Tool joint for rotary drills



F. J. HrNBERLlTER Re. 19,196

TOOL JOINT FOR ROTARY DRILLS original Filed han. 1s, 1930 ,vf 0 %c Za "June 5, 1934.

go It 1N VENTO/e A TTORNE i' f w w ,0 m J m n Reissued June 5, 1,934

19,196 TOOL JOINT FOR ROTARY DRILLS Frank J. Hinderliter, Tulsa, Okla.

Original No. 1,938,255, dated December 5, 1933, Serial-No. 420,419, January 13, 1930. Renewed Application for reissue December 10, 1931.

Bussum April 13, 1934, Serial N0. 720,493

17 Claims.

My invention relates to tool joints, andI more particularly to a device of that character for coupling the sections of drill pipe employed in rotary well drilling equipment.

5 In rotary drilling the bit is suspended in the well hole on a tubular rod, known as drill pipe and formed in sections which are connected 'by coupling devices known as tool joints, to provide a continuous passage through which mudladen fluid is delivered for cleaning the bit, softening the formation and flushing the drillings from the well hole. The iluid, being delivered through the pipe under high pressure, is inclined to seek outlet through the joints and when a leak occurs the tine sand carried in suspension in the iiuid grinds themetal over which it flows and rapidly eats away the wall of the joint, short circuiting the fluid and thus interfering with the 2 drilling operation.

interference with the drilling operation and the loss incident to such damage to the equipment by sealing the pipe sections in the joints to prevent initial escape of uid at the jointsand thus obviate the destructive eiects resulting from continued leakage.

In accomplishing this and other objects of the invention, I have provided improved details of structure, the preferred form of which is illus-'v trated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section oi part of a well hole, being formed with equipment including drill pipe and tool joints embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of one ot the joints and connected sections oi drill pipe.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the tool joint members in disassembled but related condition, parts being broken away to better illustrate construction of the members.

Referring in detail to the drawing: j 1 designates a well hole in process ofi'ormation with rotary drilling equipment, including drill pipe represented by the sections 2 coupled by joints 3 to form a continuous string.

4 designates metal casing lining the well hole through which drilling uid 5, delivered to the bottom oi the hole through the drill pipe, is returned to the top oi' the hole with cuttings made by the bit during progress of the drilling operatim. i A

The tool joint, as ordinarily constructed, inicludes an upper pin member 6 having va tapered socket 'i in its upper end threaded to receive the reversely tapered. threaded end of a pipe section It is the object oi' my invention to obviate such" 2, a tapered, exteriorly' threaded nipple 8 at its lower end and an intermediate' collar portion 9, forming a downwardly facing, exterior shoulder l0 for abutment by the rim of the box member of the joint presently described, and an upwardly facing, interior shoulder 1l, usually terminating below the threads of the socket and bevelled to di-rect ow of iluid into the restricted channel 12 in the collar and pin portions 9 and 8.

The box member 13 includes a tapered, thread- 35 ed socket 14 in its upper end for receiving the nipple 8 of the pin member 6, a larger, tapered socket 15 in its lower end for receiving the correspondingly tapered and threaded end of a. lower pipe section 2 and an intennediate collar 70 portion 16 having a throat 17 through which iiuid is delivered from the nipple into the lower pipe section.

Ii.' the parts constructed as described, are without iiaw and assembled accurately, they will usually confine the drilling uid without leakage, but should the threads on the joint or pipe be imperfectly `formed or have become distorted in transport or should the parts be improperly assembled, the fluid, because oi the high pressures employed, will be iorcedirom the line through the passage afforded by the imperfect connection, and particularly will this oecur'in the pin members where the iiow is restricted by the nipples. When such a leak occurs, sand particles in 35 the iiuid grind the surfaces over which they pass, wearing away the metal and rapidly opening the outlet until such quantity of the iluid is short circuited into the return line as to seriously intertere with the drilling operation. To prevent such leakage I provide the packing of my invention which in its preferred form includes the following elements assembled-in the joint as I will now describe.

' Each of the intermediate collar portions 9 and 95 16 of the pin and box members of the joint, and particularly the collar portion 9 of the box member, is counterbored to provide an annular seat 18 and an abutment shoulder 19 for receiving the lower end of a packing sleeve 20 driven into 100' the seat 18 or otherwise permanently secured 'in the pin member, the upper end of said sleeve being extended above the bevelled shoulder 11 to form an annular recess l2l, and the collar being providedwith a series of uid-sealports 22 im- 106 mediately above the shoulder 11 for aiIording communication between the flow channel and Mounted within the recess 21 isra'packing ring 28 .preferably bovins ,lower squared tace 24 to il) reserve an annular chamber 25 triangular in cross-section, for fluid delivered under pressure through the ports 22, thus forming a uid seal i'or the joint. Additional sealing insurance is obtained through compression of the sealing ring by engagement of its upper face with the lower end of the pipe section threaded into the socket '1. 'I'he channel 12 is flared outwardly at its respective ends as indicated at 26 and 27 to reduce resistance of flow of iiuid therethrough.

The sealed joint between the box member 13 and a lower pipe section is preferably obtained with identical construction as above described, and, in order to also provide a iluid seal for the joint between the nipple 8 and socket 14, the throat 17 is counter-bored to form a bevelled shoulder 28, terminating in a flat annular face 29. A relatively short packing sleeve 30, having a series of radial ports 3l, is seated on the face 29 to serve as an inner retaining wall for a packing ring 32vto seal the joint through pressure of fluid entering the ports 3l and through compression of the sleeve by engagement of its upper face with the nipple 8.

A drill collar constructed as above described, may be'assembled with pipe sections for operation in a well as follows:

The lower end of a pipe section is threaded into the socket of a pin member until it presses rmly against the packing. In like manner a box member is threaded onto the upper end of the pipe section. Successive pipe sections provided with pin and box members on their upper and lower ends respectively are then screw-threadedly connected together and lowered into the bore ,of the well. Fluid under pressure isr admitted into the drill pipe, lling the chambers adjacent the packing rings through the annular series of ports, thus electing a liquid seal at each yjoint lof the drill collar and pipe sections and obviating any initial leakage of the uid.

It will thus be evident that I have provided a method of and apparatus for operating a multipipe section or standr string of rotary drill pipe through which uid under pressure is being circulated whereby as the stands of drill pipe are lowered one by one into the well as the depth of the well is progressively increased, tool joints with resilient packing therein are inserted between Athe stands of pipe. This packing is pressed into sealing position by the inserting thrust of the pipe sections. Also the packing by reason of its position and inherent characteristics, thereaitenyields back and forth in response to relative movement o1 the pipe sections as the string of pipe is rotating in the well so that rotary stresses are thus utilized ing the seal in such joint.

Furthermore, by reason of the fact that the packing ring is in each instance disposed in an enlarged bore to protect the threads in the bore from erosion, this ring in reality constitutes a ller in the enlarged bore longitudinally between the nuid e and the tubular element threaded in the bore, whereby a relatively smooth conduction of fluid in the tool joint between the tubular element and the e is obtained.

What I claim and desire to secure Patent is:

1. A tool joint including a socket .having a shoulder at its base, a collar seated on the shoulderformingarecessbetweenthecollarandthe wallofthesocket,andpacldngintherecess spaced from the shoulder engageable by a meinberseatedlnthesockehvthecollarhavingports to aid in maintainby Letters communicating with the recess at the end of the packing.

2. In a rotary drilling rig including a plurality of stands of pipe, means including tool joints vfor connecting the stands of pipe together and sealing means in each joint arranged to be wedged into seal tight engagement with the walls of the joint by the inserting thrust of the pipe connected to the joint.

3. In a rotary drilling rig including a plurality of stands of pipe, means including tool joints for connecting the stands of pipe together and resilient sealing means in each joint arranged to be resiliently wedged into seal tight engagement with the walls of the joint by the inserting thrust of the pipe connected to the joint.

4. In a rotary drilling rig including a plurality of stands of pipe, means including tool joints for connecting the stands of pipe together, sealing means in each joint arranged to be wedged into sealtight engagement with the walls of the joint by the inserting thrust of the pipe connected to the joint, and a relatively rigid sleeve disposed in thetool joint and spaced from the wall thereof to define an annular pocket in which said sealing means is disposed.

5. A device of the character described for use with drill pipe adapted for conducting uid under high pressure including a coupling member having a tapered socket, and a packing ring` compressible against the tapered wall of the socket by thrust of a pipe section inserted into the socket to protect the coupling member against wear incident to escape o fluid between the coupling member and an inserted pipe section.

6. A device of the character described for use with drill pipe adapted for conducting fluid under -high pressure including a coupling member having a tapered socket, and a packing ring slidable along the tapered wall of the socket and including a relatively rigid member for preventing inward collapse of the ring, whereby the ring may be expanded laterally outwardly in response to end thrust of a member advancing in the socket in contact with the one edge of the ring and to restraint of the ring by the wall of the socket and .by said rigid member to protect the coupling member against wear incident to escape of fluid between the coupling member and said member. '7. A rotary tool joint for use with drill pipe' yadapted for conducting uid under high pressure including separate joint members adapted for quick connection and disconnection and having pipe sockets, and means for sealing the joint in cluding resilient packing in said sockets adapted to be closely pressed against walls of the joint members by inserting thrust of pipe sections.

8. A rotary tool joint for use with drill pipe adapted for conducting fluid under high pressure including separate joint members having means at their outer ends for connection' with pipe sections and having pin and box portions at their respective inner ends adapted for relatively quick connection as compared with the connection of the joint members with the pipe sections, resilient packing in the box member and in the ends of both joint members adapted to be pressed to sealing relation with walls of the joint members by connecting thrust of the pin and pipe sections.

9. In a rotary well drilling aparatus'including a multi-stand string of rotary drill pipe through which fluid under pressure is being circulated in the drilling o! the well, coupling means for connecting the stands of pipe together and adapted tov be inserted between the stands as they are lowered one by one into the well as the depth of the well progresses comprising a plurality of pipe tool joints each including resilient sealing means for forming a uid tight joint in the joint and arranged to utilize the rotary stresses and thrust incident to the rotation oi! the stands of pipe in thc drilling of the well for augmenting and maintaining the seal.

10. In a rotary well drilling apparatus including a multi-stand string of rotary drill pipe through which fluid under pressure is being circulated in the drilling of the well. coupling means for connecting the stands of .pipe together and adapted to be inserted between the stands as theyare lowered one by one into the well as the depth of the well progresses comprising a plurality of pipe tool joints each including sealing means for forming a fluid tight joint in the joint and arranged to utilize the rotary stresses and thrust incident to the rotation of the stands of pipe in the drilling of the well for augmenting and ymaintaining the seal, said sealing means including a flexible sealing ring concentric with the bore of the drill pipe and including means for restraining inward bulging of the ring under compression so as to concentrate any bulging of the ring in a direction tending to effectuate said seal.

11. A rotary tool joint for use with drill pipe adapted for conducting fluid under high pressure including separate joint members adapted for quick connection and disconnection and having pipe sockets, and means for sealing the joint including packing in said sockets adapted to be closely pressed against walls of the joint members by inserting thrust of pipe sections.

l2. A rotary tool joint for use with drill pipe adapted for conducting iiuid under high pressure including separate joint members adapted for quick connection and disconection and havlng pipe sockets at their outer ends, and packing in said sockets adapted to be pressed to sealing relation with walls of the sockets by vthrust o! pipe sections upon insertion of the pipe sections into the sockets to protect the joint against wear incident to escape of fluid between the joint members and pipe sections,

13. A rotary tool joint for use with drill pipe adapted for conducting fluid under high pressure including separate joint members having means at their outer ends for connection with pipe sections and having pin and box portions at their respective inner ends adapted for relatively quick connection as compared with the connection ol the joint members with the pipe sections, packingin the box member and in the ends ot both joint members adapted to be pressed to sealing relation with walls of the joint members by connecting thrust of the pin and pipe sections.

14. A rotary drill pipe joint member having a fluid passage with an enlarged bore internally threaded to receive the threaded end oi a tubular element and a ring positioned within said enlarged bore to protect the threads in said bore from erosion when the joint member is in use and to provide a ller in said enlarged bore longitudinally between said ud passage and said drill pipe end whereby a relatively smooth conduction of fluid between said tubular element and said passage is enabled.

15. A rotary drill pipe joint member having a uid passage with an enlarged bore internally threaded to receive the threaded end of a tubular element and a ring positioned within said enlarged bore to protect the threads in said borev from erosion when the joint member is in use and to provide a filler in said enlarged bore longitudinally between said fluid passage and said drill pipe and whereby a relatively smooth conduction of uidbetween said tubular element and said passage is enabled, said ring having a shoulder against which inserting thrust of said tubular element is applicable to press said ring into position.

16. A rotary drill pipe joint having a uid passage with an enlarged bore and internally threadedat one end to receive the threaded end oi. a drill pipe and a ring positioned within said enlarged bore to protect the threads in said bore from erosion when the joint member is in use and to provide a iiller in said enlarged bore longitudinally between said fluid passage and said drill pipe yend whereby a relatively smooth conduction of uid between the pipe and said passage is enabled.

17. A rotary drill pipe joint having a iluid passage with an enlarged bore and internally threaded at one end to receive the threaded end oi a drill pipe and a ring positioned within said enlarged bore to protect the threads in said bore from erosion when the joint member is in use and to provide a filler in said enlarged bore longitudinally between said iluid passage and said drill pipe end whereby a relatively smooth conduction of iluid between the pipe and said passage is enabled, said ring having a shoulder against which inserting thrust of said pipe is applicable to press said ring inwardly into position.

` FRANK J. HINDERLITER. 

